Elderly Driver Crashes in San Antonio: Stats, Liability, and Your Legal Rights

Carabin Shaw has represented injured people across San Antonio and Texas for more than 34 years. The firm’s personal injury attorneys handle car accident cases involving elderly drivers — both victims injured by an older driver and older drivers who were hurt through no fault of their own. If you or a family member was seriously injured in a collision involving an older driver, Carabin Shaw is ready to fight for the compensation you deserve.

Crashes involving elderly drivers are more common than most people realize, and the injuries tend to be severe. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults 65 and older are involved in a disproportionate share of fatal traffic crashes relative to the miles they drive, and they are far more likely to die from crash-related injuries than younger occupants in the same wreck. In Bexar County, crash data tracked through the TxDOT Crash Records Information System (CRIS) shows that serious-injury and fatal collisions involving older road users remain a persistent concern year after year.

Age brings changes that affect driving ability well before a person feels ready to stop driving. Older drivers involved in a San Antonio car accident often face a painful tension: they value independence, yet physical limitations may have raised the risk of the crash in the first place. Families face that tension too. Knowing the medical, legal, and practical realities helps everyone make clearer decisions after a wreck.

If an elderly driver caused your crash, or if an older family member was hurt in a collision someone else caused, the legal options are real — and acting quickly matters. This post covers the facts, Texas licensing rules, liability questions, and the steps to take after a senior-driver crash in San Antonio.

How Aging Changes Driving Ability

Physiological changes accumulate gradually, which is why many older drivers and their families do not notice the warning signs until a wreck occurs. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration identifies several age-related factors that raise crash risk: reduced contrast sensitivity and night vision, slower reaction times, reduced neck and shoulder flexibility that limits mirror checks, and side effects from common medications including blood thinners, sleep aids, muscle relaxants, and certain blood-pressure drugs.

  • Vision decline: Glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration are more prevalent after 70. A driver who cannot see a pedestrian in a crosswalk or a car merging on Loop 410 in low light is a serious hazard to everyone on the road.
  • Reaction time: Even healthy older adults process information more slowly. A half-second delay at highway speed can mean the difference between a near-miss and a T-bone collision.
  • Medications: Polypharmacy — taking multiple prescription drugs at once — is common in older adults and can cause drowsiness, dizziness, or impaired judgment that mirrors the effects of drunk driving.
  • Cognitive changes: Early or undiagnosed dementia affects spatial awareness and decision-making before families are aware a problem exists.

    • Video Transcript

    Who pays my medical bills after a Texas car accident? I’m Jamie Shaw with Carabin Shaw. After a crash, the bills start before any settlement arrives. So who pays? In Texas, it’s often a mix — your own health insurance, your PIP coverage if you have it, or the at-fault driver’s insurance at the end of the case. Texas is an at-fault state, meaning the driver who caused the crash is ultimately responsible. But that money usually comes as one settlement later, which is why managing bills in the meantime matters. We help clients coordinate this so they can focus on healing. Questions about your bills after a San Antonio accident? Call Carabin Shaw. 210-222-2288.

Texas Licensing Rules for Older Drivers

Texas law applies specific requirements to aging drivers that go beyond the standard renewal process. Under the Texas Transportation Code, drivers 79 and older must renew their license in person rather than online or by mail — a rule designed to give examiners a chance to observe any obvious impairment. In-person renewal also triggers a vision test. Drivers who cannot meet the vision standard must provide a physician’s certification or accept a restriction on their license.

At age 85, the renewal cycle shortens to every two years instead of six. That creates more frequent checkpoints, but it does not guarantee that a driver who deteriorated between renewals will be caught before a crash happens. Texas does not require road tests for older drivers at renewal, which means a person with significantly reduced reaction time or poor judgment may still hold a valid license.

Families who are concerned about an aging relative’s fitness to drive can contact the Texas Department of Public Safety to request a medical review. A physician can also report a patient who poses a traffic safety risk. These steps are difficult emotionally, but they can prevent a crash before one occurs.

Why Older Occupants Are Hurt More Severely

An aging body is more fragile than a younger one, even when the collision itself is moderate. Bone density decreases with age, making fractures — especially to the hip, pelvis, and ribs — far more likely. Rib fractures in older adults can puncture a lung or lead to pneumonia during recovery. Thinning skin bruises and tears more easily. A crash that leaves a 30-year-old walking away may send a 75-year-old to the ICU.

This fragility matters enormously for damages in a personal injury claim. Medical bills, extended rehabilitation, home-health aides, and the lost ability to care for oneself all factor into what a fair settlement or verdict should cover for an older crash victim. Carabin Shaw’s San Antonio car accident lawyers work with medical experts to document the full scope of those damages — not just the emergency room bill.

Liability: When an Older Driver Causes a Crash

Age alone does not shield a driver from liability. If an elderly driver ran a red light on Blanco Road or drifted across the center line on I-10 and hit your vehicle, that driver — and their insurer — can be held responsible for your injuries, vehicle damage, and other losses. Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule, so even if you were partly at fault, you may still recover damages as long as your share of fault is below 51 percent.

In some cases, third parties share liability alongside the at-fault driver:

  • A physician who cleared a medically unfit patient to drive.
  • A family member who knowingly handed keys to a driver they knew was impaired.
  • A care facility that allowed a resident with documented cognitive decline to access a vehicle.

Proving these additional theories requires prompt investigation. Witness statements, medical records, and vehicle event data can disappear quickly after a San Antonio auto wreck. Carabin Shaw moves immediately to preserve that evidence from the moment a client calls.

Liability: When an Older Person Is the Victim

Older drivers are not always at fault. Reckless younger drivers, distracted motorists, and poorly maintained roads injure senior drivers every day in San Antonio. When an older person is the victim of another driver’s negligence, the same personal injury process applies — but the damages calculation is often larger because the medical consequences are more serious and the recovery longer.

Families sometimes hesitate to pursue a claim on behalf of an elderly parent or grandparent, thinking the process will be too burdensome. Carabin Shaw handles every aspect of the legal work so the family can focus on caregiving.

What to Do After a Senior-Driver Crash in San Antonio

  • Call 911 and request medical attention even if injuries seem minor — adrenaline masks pain, and older adults can have internal injuries that are not immediately obvious.
  • Get a police report. The San Antonio Police Department or Bexar County Sheriff’s report will document fault, road conditions, and the other driver’s information.
  • Photograph the scene, vehicles, and any visible injuries before vehicles are moved.
  • Collect names and contact information from witnesses.
  • Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company before speaking with an attorney.
  • Seek medical follow-up within 24–72 hours, even after an ER visit. Some fractures and head injuries appear on follow-up imaging that ER scans miss.

How Carabin Shaw Can Help

Crashes involving older drivers carry layers of medical, legal, and family complexity that a standard insurance settlement rarely addresses fully. Carabin Shaw has spent more than 34 years representing injured people across San Antonio and Bexar County. The firm investigates liability thoroughly, works with medical experts to document the full extent of injuries, and fights for compensation that reflects what an older crash victim actually needs — not the first number an adjuster offers.

The firm is board-certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, carries an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and has zero disciplinary history with the State Bar of Texas. When an elderly driver crash has turned your family’s life upside down, Carabin Shaw has the experience and the resources to take the fight all the way to trial if that is what it takes.

Call (800) 862-1260 for a free consultation, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No fees unless Carabin Shaw recovers for you.